Tolomato Cemetery: St. Augustine’s Silent City of Spirits

Tolomato Cemetery is one of St. Augustine’s most mysterious and atmospheric historic sites. Though it’s closed to the public, its presence is a draw for tourists and locals alike. The weathered headstones, above-ground tombs, and Spanish architecture tell 250 years of stories, lives, and spirits.

Tolomato is a place where history rests close to the surface… and sometimes, doesn’t rest at all.

A Cemetery With Centuries of History (and Hauntings)

Long before it became a Catholic burial ground, the site was home to an early 18th-century mission village. When the cemetery was formally established in the 1700s under Spanish rule, Tolomato became the final resting place for around 1,000 people-including Spanish colonists, freed and formerly enslaved people, soldiers, Minorcans, and even a Cuban bishop who died under mysterious circumstances.

With that many lives crossing paths in one place, it’s no surprise that Tolomato has earned a reputation for spiritual activity. Some of these spirits include:

The Girl at the Gate

One of the most famous sightings is that of a young girl in a white dress who appears just inside the cemetery gate. Witnesses report that she seems lost or searching for someone-then vanishes instantly. 

The Bishop’s Restless Spirit

Bishop Verot’s tomb is often linked to strange energy spikes on EMF devices and dramatic temperature drops. Some say the bishop still keeps watch over the grounds he once walked.

Little James

One of the most well-known spirits said to linger around Tolomato Cemetery is James, a young boy who tragically died in the 1800s. Visitors and paranormal investigators often report seeing a small figure darting between headstones or catching sight of a child perched in the branches of the old oaks. Many believe James is still drawn to the place he once played, his energy curious, gentle, and active. 

Part of what makes Tolomato such a paranormal hotspot is the layers of history compressed into one small area. Different cultures, centuries, tragedies, and beliefs intersect here. Cemeteries already hold immense energy-but add mass epidemics, early colonial unrest, and an entire vanished village beneath it, and you get a place that feels unusually “awake.”

Although the cemetery itself is closed to the public, its perimeter offers plenty of opportunities for curious visitors. Many guests on St. Augustine ghost tours report activity simply from standing near the gate or walking the outside path.

If you want to explore Tolomato’s dark corners and maybe experience something unexplained for yourself, our tours take you right alongside its haunted borders.

Tolomato Cemetery is only one of the many historic-and haunted-locations you’ll encounter when you join a Ghost Augustine tour or investigation. Our guides share the stories you won’t find in the history books.